(AP Photo/Susan Walsh). Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn leaves federal court in Washington, Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to making false statements to the FBI, the first Trump White House official to make a gui...

The Twitter storm - more than a dozen tweets Saturday and Sunday - came after his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

The Twitter storm - more than a dozen tweets Saturday and Sunday - came after his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

MOSCOW (AP) - The Kremlin insisted on Monday that conversations between President Donald Trump's former national security adviser and the Russian ambassador to the U.S. didn't influence Russian President Vladimir Putin's response to sanctions imposed by Trump's predecessor.

Former adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI about reaching out to Russian officials.

Prosecutors say Flynn asked Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak last December to "not escalate the situation" after the outgoing Obama administration imposed sanctions on Russia in retaliation for suspected election interference. Just days later, Putin opted not to retaliate.

Flynn's tenure was short-lived. He was forced to resign in February following news reports revealing that the Obama administration officials had informed Trump's team that Flynn had discussed sanctions with Kislyak, a fact at odds with the public assertions of Vice President Mike Pence.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday it was "absurd" to suggest that the phone conversation could have influenced Putin's decision and added that "such requests couldn't have been passed on" to him.

"The president makes his own decisions, guided solely by Russia's national interests," Peskov told reporters. "Flynn couldn't have asked Sergei Ivanovich (Kislyak) about anything, and, what's more such requests couldn't have been passed on to the Russian president."

Russian officials have dismissed special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into ties between the Trump administration and Moscow as an anti-Russia witch hunt.

A gunman opened fire at a GOP legislator and staff baseball practice in Alexandria, VA on June 14. House Whip Steve Scalise was shot in the hip, two staffers were injured, as well as two Capitol Police officers.

A gunman opened fire at a GOP legislator and staff baseball practice in Alexandria, VA on June 14. House Whip Steve Scalise was shot in the hip, two staffers were injured, as well as two Capitol Police officers.

President Donald Trump plans to build a wall on the border with Mexico. He has said no one can build a wall better than him. He'll have to do better than these famous walls to make that promise a reality.

President Donald Trump plans to build a wall on the border with Mexico. He has said no one can build a wall better than him. He'll have to do better than these famous walls to make that promise a reality.